Do You Still Love Me
by IndigoSnake16
Summary: Marriage between Raine and Regal has been a long and enduring one, but lately, Raine hasn't been as happy as she used to be.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Raine had often accused Regal of worrying far too much about the future. They knew going into this—marriage—that they would face problems later on, but she had wanted to live in the moment and eventually he did too. Being apart had been too painful, whatever the future had in store, they would simply have to face it together. Raine had been fine with this philosophy forty years ago, but things were different now.

She laid awake in bed as she usually did these days and listened to Regal's soft snores. He hadn't snored at all in the past. One thing she could count on him not having a problem with was falling asleep. She could count the minutes on her fingers of how quickly he could do so. Perhaps that was a good thing. Getting a good night's rest did wonders for one's health.

His hair had started graying ten years ago and now it was almost as white as hers. The texture of his hair was different as well—it seemed softer a bit more fragile and not as voluminous, but he at least still had a lot of it. When she was looking at him, she thought she was looking at a different person. She'd expected him to grow older, but when it actually happened, she was unprepared for it. There were laugh lines where there hadn't been before, crow's feet about his eyes that had taken her by surprise.

Body-wise, he was still pretty much in shape, but he felt different. It was hard to describe. Perhaps he felt _softer_ to her fingertips and not nearly as rock solid as before.

He grew tired sooner than usual and she usually was left to herself when it came to nightcaps. Not that she didn't spend any time at all with him, but he would fall asleep during movies and anything else that didn't involve movement. And for whatever reason, it was difficult for him to do much of anything after 10pm as if he was adhering to some sort of bedtime like a child would.

She turned on her back from him with a sigh. She knew it would only get worse from here. Out in public, however, people always commented on how nice they looked as a couple. More than once women would pull her to the side telling her how lucky she was to have someone who aged so gracefully and who still took care of himself. It was true. She'd seen far worse looking seventy-six year olds and Regal didn't look half bad with a well-kept beard and mustache connected to a line of hair that started at his sides. In fact, he would still draw glances from younger women who were into nice-looking older guys—and there were quite a bit of those women around.

Thinking of those things, she felt horrible the way her mind was criticizing him. She didn't have the right to be upset about how he looked different from before. His core personality shined through. He'd never changed in that respect and Raine suspected he would be that way until his dying day. But he did _act_ different. He had been wise before, now it felt as if he was a guru of sorts. He used lines like "Back in the day" or "I remember that time when". When he started talking like that, it made her feel like a child in his presence. She was only ten years younger than him, but she still felt as if she had things to learn whereas Regal seemed to have learned all he could. He was no less curious or inquisitive; he simply seemed to already know so much.

"Raine…?" he murmured in his sleep.

Yet another thing she had gotten used to. Almost every night he would say her name in his sleep. She supposed she should be flattered or glad that it wasn't some other woman, but he never used to do such things before. There would be a pause in his snoring and then he would start again. She wondered if she ever answered him, he would respond, but it was a silly notion.

She herself fell asleep later on in the night and was interrupted by the sunlight of morning. Regal was a deep sleeper so rather than having to sit through annoying alarm clocks, she woke him herself. It was a system that had worked perfectly over the years. She would almost feel guilty for interrupting his very restful sleep, but it had to be done.

He would wake in a daze and it would take him a few minutes to be fully functional. On his worst days, he would stumble out of bed and fall flat on his face. This was one of his better days and he knew how to walk properly for the most part. He had a pretty one-track mind in the morning and it wasn't until he was done with the bathroom that he would come back and say "Good morning" to her. She smiled as she usually did and said it back as cheerfully as she could. The phonier she sounded the more amused Regal would be and today he was quite amused.

"I bet you didn't sleep at all last night," Regal told her knowingly

"When do I ever?"

"Maybe you should do something that tires you out right before going to bed."

"But that sounds…tiring."

"Exactly," he said with a smile that made his wrinkles look more pronounced.

"I'll think about it. Be safe at work today."

"And you too."

Raine worked as a principal at the school she'd been teaching in for years. As much as she had tried to fight it, she eventually was promoted to principal, a job which had proven stressful and challenging, but only in the beginning. After she learned the secrets of delegation and trusting her staff both from asking Regal for advice and her own common sense, things became far simpler and even enjoyable. The level of work had become doable as opposed to a never-ending mountain of impossible work.

She got dressed as well but by the time she made it downstairs, Regal was gone. He had managed to make and leave her a quick breakfast, however. It was something she had come to expect from him. Even after all these years, she wasn't the best in the kitchen and she doubt her skills could ever surpass that of Regal.

Taking all the things she would need that day and stepping into the Rheaird waiting for her outside, she flew off to school. It was just another day, but for some reason she could not cast off her darkening mood which had creeped up on her that morning. She would hide it for as long as she could.

* * *

Raine had gotten home in the evening after having a meeting with her teachers as to what she wanted to see from them that year and what they could expect. As soon as she could, she dressed herself down and curled up on her favorite couch in the living room and continued the story she'd started yesterday. Eventually, she heard as her husband came through the door. He went upstairs first to dump his effects and then change his clothes. After that he would come down stairs, say "Good Evening" and then say that he was about to start cooking. Cooking wasn't so much a chore for him, but a time to relax so she stopped making a fuss about this ages ago.

This time was different. He sat down across from her and laid back comfortably on the sofa. She peered over her book at him and noticed that his eyes were closed. She wondered if he would just fall asleep there and never actually get to cooking.

"It completely slipped my mind," he said tiredly. Now he was looking at her with those intelligent blue eyes of his. "I suppose that's a bad sign," he said with a crinkly grin. "There is this business function that's going to be occurring in a few hours and I'm supposed to be there. I promised I would be there so that I could meet new potential investors and entrepreneurs."

"Ah, I see, and you want me to come with you?"

"Who better to have at my side? Unless, of course, this is too spur of the moment."

"I love spur of the moment," she said with a smile putting her book down. "I'll go look for a suitable dress."

"It's been awhile since I've seen a genuine smile from you. I must be doing something right."

"What do you mean? I smile all the time."

"Well, I just hope for tonight, I can be the reason for your smile."

He would say things like that and immediately make her feel guilty. Maybe he knew already of her unhappiness. It didn't take either of them long to throw on something that they could get by on and soon they were on their way.

* * *

Raine wore a long dark blue dress that sparkled in the ample light overhead. It was both backless and sleeveless. She wore her hair in her usual style albeit a little longer. She wore petite gold and blue boots for the occasion—she hated heels with a passion.

Regal looked just as suave as usual despite "throwing something on"—it was a three piece. His suit jacket was a darker blue than hers and its richly material shined in the light. His waistcoat was a textured baby blue and revealed an interestingly knotted tie. She'd seen it before, but it never ceased to amaze her just how many knots existed and that he knew how to do them. This one in particular was called the agape knot, named because of the gap it left in the center of four overlapping material at the top. This time, however, the gap was filled by a small baby blue rose with tiny green leaves sticking out. _Of course_, Raine thought sardonically. His hair was pulled back into a low ponytail with a blue ribbon tied into a bow.

Rain paid mild attention to the conversation Regal drummed up with various attendees. It was enough attention to add something intelligent to the conversation at least. Instead, she was admiring all the nicely dressed men and women here. Younger looking men…But she stopped herself. Regal was right there beside her. What if it turned out that he could actually read her mind? A silly notion, but still…one could never be too careful.

"Would you like a drink?" Regal asked her pulling her out of her train of thought

Raine shook her head. "I think I'll be fine for now."

"And how are you liking things so far?"

"It's a party of people trying to make money. Splendid," she said back.

"Maybe I'll try to find more interesting people for your benefit. Entrepreneurs are often that."

The night dragged on, but Raine had to admit that they did meet a lot of interesting people. Entrepreneurs were also another name for inventors, she discovered, but many of them knew little about business and about how to sell their products. Regal passed on all of them though complimenting them on their ingenuity and Raine agreed with his decisions. They hadn't created something with buyers in mind—they had created something simply to create something and they expected someone else to see its monetary value.

Nearing the end of the night, Regal spied a dark-haired male who dressed in a manner similar to him and when Regal pointed him out, Raine noted that his features were quite handsome. His hair was long and radiant, parted in the middle, his shorter hair on the side creating a bit of a split bang upon his forehead.

"He looks like your type," Regal said pleasantly to Raine who must have been gazing a little too hard.

"Now why would you go and say a thing like that? _You're _my type."

"Yes, of course," he said dismissively. "Let's go introduce ourselves and hope he has something good to offer."

Raine couldn't be sure, but she thought she saw a mischievous glint in his eye. After knowing Regal for so long, she long since discovered that there were different sides to him. The more comfortable he grew with her, the more open he was with himself. Yes, he was still a predominantly polite man, but he wasn't above teasing and joking around even if he wasn't nearly as good at it as she was. Sometimes it was hard to tell when he was teasing or messing around because it was often quite subtle. She was almost certain that this was one of those moments. She wondered once again if he could, in fact, read her mind.

The man seemed shocked that the great Regal Bryant would want to hear about his proposal. He stumbled over his greeting, but one could tell that he was quite honored to meet him. The man had a solid, athletic build, Raine noted, and his smile seemed to brighten up his entire face.

"How endearing," Regal said to the young man after his embarrassing struggle of trying to introducing himself. "Isn't he, Raine?"

She wondered why Regal would want her opinion here, but she simply told him yes.

"I've been to your amusement park dozens of times," the man whose name they knew to be Derrick said.

Raine wasn't sure why a grown man by himself would go to an amusement park of all places multiple times, but she kept her mouth closed.

"And I've ridden all the rides quite a few times. I enjoyed it, but, you see, something is missing, if you don't mind me saying."

"Of course not. There's always room for improvement—a good company should always keep that in mind. Please continue."

"You need a ride that defines the amusement park. It doesn't have its own individual identity—it is simply called Altamira's Amusement Park. It needs something big, something fast…something daring. That was when I began drawing up a blueprint for that very thing. Not that it has a name, but I believe it's quite incredible. I've had scores of other engineers check over my work and they've all agreed that it was a sound plan—just that it would be quite a bear to actually put into reality."

"You really do have a passion for amusement parks," Regal commented.

"Well, I suppose, but you can blame my little sister who drags me there every chance I get."

"I like your ideas, Derrick. Come see me in my office tomorrow and we will discuss this further."

Derrick was taken aback by this. "Y-You're serious about this," he said with surprise.

"I never say something I don't absolutely mean. I look forward to seeing you soon."

"Thank you, sir—your grace!"

Regal laughed pleasantly at the young man. "And you have an enjoyable rest of your evening."

The two of them left the other in a good mood that would no doubt last for a long time. Raine glanced back towards the young man and grinned to herself. There was a naïveté that she liked about him. It was a trait she hadn't seen in quite a long time.

"Raine, perhaps you'd like to be there when I have this meeting with him."

"And why would I suddenly be interested in something like that?"

"Because I couldn't possibly face him by myself," he said feigning concern.

"Right. I think you're up to something, but I can't put my finger on it."

"Since when have I ever been able to hide anything from the ever intelligent Raine?"

So far not at all, Raine thought, but things could change. This new Regal seemed capable of such a thing, at least.

The party was winding down so they left soon after. The night was certainly unexpected and as they flew out on their Rheairds, the temperature wasn't too bad. She could have stayed outside forever in such perfect weather, but Regal could not she was sure. Raine left him to go to bed, but she stayed out a while longer to look at the stars. It was late at night, but she felt restless. She couldn't stop her thoughts from returning to the sweet looking Derrick nor could she stop her dreams…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Raine wondered why he had insisted that she was there for the meeting. She hardly added any input to their enthusiastic conversation about the grand new ride that Regal was convinced could potentially increase their revenue in that sector. She felt she did little more than smile and agree. Regal didn't need her help at all. She was a bit frustrated and had a bone to pick with the old man once this was over.

But Derrick's glance made her antsy. He was increasingly easy on her eyes. He seemed far more naïve last night, but now he seemed authoritative since he was reassured of Regal's interest. His eyes sparked with a beautiful intelligence and yet there was kindness there. Whenever Regal got the other to mention his younger sister, his eyes would become much softer.

Somehow the topic of conversation shifted to Derrick's personal life and she discovered that after the death of his single mother, he was tasked with taking care of his younger sister. For a long time, it had been difficult. The world did not stop simply because of their mother's death; he and his sister had to work through their depression just to get by. He'd already been in school for being a mechanical engineer, but he had bombed his last semester. Then after trying it one more time, he became a qualified mechanical engineer and he was quickly hired by a small local company. That was when he was truly able to get his life and his sister's back on track.

He wasn't ashamed or bashful about telling such a story. It was a matter of fact and Regal had simply been curious. He was young, but he was quite mature having dealt with the circumstances in his life. His story sounded eerily similar to her hardships except that he'd been born a human. While he probably didn't have to deal with the same sort of obstacles, losing one's parents was the same for any child especially if they had an attachment to them and both siblings did.

They concluded their meeting after a couple of hours and as Derrick said his goodbyes, Raine chided herself for smiling like some silly love-struck schoolgirl when he called her "lovely". The full description had included wife as well, but her ears ignored the trivial details.

"Quite a magnificent man, don't you think, Raine?" Regal said as he moved to his shelf of alcohol beverages. "Would you like a drink?"

"I suppose I will this time."

He made her a glass of single malt Whisky with a large, spherical ice plopped in the middle of it and handed it to her. She took a small sip of it.

"So you're really going through with this radical new ride?" Raine asked the musing Regal.

"There's no longer any doubts lingering in my mind. I will need to get approval from my investors, convince them that this is well worth their money and then some. Wouldn't it be nice if I could see its completion before I died?"

Raine looked at him distressingly. "Don't say things like that. Besides, how long could it possibly take?"

"A very long time with the technology we have nowadays. We've made great strides in alternative energy sources since the exspheres were outlawed, but we certainly have a long ways to go. Long-term projects like these hardly ever go as they're planned. Life is unpredictable and even the best laid plans can turn to ruin. Five years is optimistic, it could take far longer than that. Funding has to be secured every quarter to make sure progress can continue. And who would be the one to manage it all? Derrick would work well as an advisor, but he has little experience in being in charge of so many people and handling so much responsibility. I would need someone experienced and dependable." Regal sighed. "But I'm boring you with the details. I think this would be an incredible idea put to reality."

"I believe so too. It would be nice if it was actually accomplished. Then we'd have a new ride to take together."

"With me? You flatter me, but I doubt my heart could take such intense speeds. This ride would be going four times faster than any vehicle in existence. But surely, Derrick would love to take that honor."

Raine looked up from her glass suddenly and gazed directly at her husband as if something had just donned on her. "You don't think I see what you're doing? Is there something you're not telling me? Asking me to come to this meeting where I was completely unnecessary. Complimenting Derrick as much as you do…You're not planning on dying and having Derrick somehow…"

"Raine, these are one of those moments where I'm utterly unable to follow what you're saying," he said with a raised eyebrow.

"Answer me this, Regal, are you dying?" Raine asked.

She'd known Regal for a very long time and she was an expert on telling when he was lying. In fact, he was a horrible liar.

"Of course I am. The average human _might_ reach a hundred, but most die a bit sooner than that. One must anticipate the inevitable."

Raine blinked at his bluntness. "That's not what I was talking about. Are you…sick or…?"

"I would most certainly tell you that if that was the case. There's no sense in hiding things from you. Besides, you'd know already. I'm hardly an expert of keeping secrets."

Raine gazed at him intently, but she could find no trickery there. Was she simply being paranoid?

"Derrick is a fine man—I cannot help but give credit where credit is due."

"Yes, he is. Those blueprints were expertly done and he spoke with good clarity—even I understood some of it."

Regal nodded in agreement. "But," he began mysteriously, "A guilty conscience needs no accuser."

Raine froze at this and stared at the other, but he was finishing off his glass and his eyes were no longer on her. "Whatever do you mean?" she asked.

"Disregard that—perhaps it was just my imagination. I've been accused of seeing things that aren't real plenty of times before, but I suppose that comes with age."

Should she correct him? Should she say that, in fact, he wasn't seeing things and that his powers of observation were just as sharp as they've always been? But she couldn't. She didn't want to cause him undue stress now of all times. She didn't like that such a thing had occurred more than once. More likely he would put someone on the spot and they'd, like her, would be too embarrassed to admit their wrongdoing and use the only convenient solution at their hands—his age. It was a depressing thought, Raine realized, that he did not trust himself or his own conclusions about people as steadfastly as he had in the past. And she was not helping matters.

"No, that's alright," Raine said, "We've all done it before. I should let you get back to your work."

She excused herself from her husband's presence and took a deep breath once she was standing out in the hallway. She remembered George as she walked down the familiar corridor. She hadn't even stepped foot in the building for a long while. After George's death, Regal seemed to take his job a bit more seriously if that was possible. It had been subtle, but she'd seen it all the same. He'd taken his death hard, but he was quiet about it for quite some time. Instead, he dutifully went into work without complaint. It was one of the few instances where Regal had not simply confided her. It had been too personal, she supposed. Regal had known George for almost all his life.

He expressed to her that he felt as if he'd taken his presence for granted. He'd been there for so long, always supporting him that perhaps he hadn't thanked him enough. Maybe he hadn't visited him in the hospital enough. It was Regal's way to become guilty after someone's death if Alicia was any indication. It was nothing for him to throw logic to the wind and convince himself that somehow there was some malicious intent in his own actions unrealized. But unlike before, it hadn't been a long, drawn out grieving process. He eventually accepted things as they were. Raine thought after that moment, that Regal had somehow matured, that he had become "older". He was the same, but he was different.

Today would be a short day for her husband, it being Saturday. More often than not, they would do something together on this day and Raine thought that she owed it to him to make herself available. At least for the past couple of years, she'd skipped out on such things, preferring the company of a good book…

* * *

Raine stood out on the massive bridge that had an unparalleled view of the ocean and stars. She'd gone out here plenty of times before just to think. When her husband had gotten home, she'd convinced him to go joyriding with her. He had been pleasantly surprised at her sudden interest, she could tell. Of course, he'd been hard pressed to deny her. In fact, Raine could count on her fingers how many times Regal had outright told her "no".

It had been a nice evening. It was always nice to spend time with Regal. He knew her like no one else. He knew the right things to say and when to say them. He could sense even the slightest shift in her emotions. He still held her the same way, though his scent, she noticed, was different. She knew it was him, there was no doubt about it, but that one difference had caused her pause. What could it have been? She had held him closer and she could not place it, but it was different. That hadn't ruined the night entirely, she still managed to keep up a good mood, but she could not hide such things from Regal and she had to make up some lie of "maybe I'm getting a little tired" to explain away her mood.

She heard another group of youths making their way down the bridge no doubt on their way home from the amusement park—the only thing open at this time of night. They sounded so carefree and content. It was a lovely thing to be privy to.

She looked over to her left with a start when she felt someone's presence nearby.

"I thought that was you, Duchess Bryant," Derrick said.

He still seemed to be dressed well but a bit more casual with an unbuttoned one breasted waistcoat a clean white shirt and a pair of jeans. He stood a few feet taller than her and his deep dark orbs sent shivers down her back—in a good way.

"No one ever calls me that," Raine said with a grin. "Please, call me Raine."

"If you insist, your grace."

Her smile widened at this. "I just can't win with you, can I? You did that at the meeting too. I'm surprised Regal never corrected you." Then she looked away from his inquisitive eyes. "It must have slipped his mind," she said a bit sadly.

"Is his grace embarrassed of such titles?"

"No," Raine said shaking her head. "Embarrassed isn't the right word. He doesn't believe himself above anyone else and those titles always suggest otherwise. If you really want to show him respect, then "sir" will do just fine."

"Oh, I see. I'll take that into account, the next time I see him." She still felt his eyes on her. "If you don't mind me asking, why is a lovely woman such as yourself out here so late?"

"I would ask you the same question," Raine countered.

"Well, that's easy. I wanted to see the park at night when there were a lot of people there. I was pondering where such a large ride could be situated. Everything's so lit up—it's quite eye-catching."

"Yes it is. A favorite destination for dates." Raine thought she noticed a bit of a blush on the other. His complexion was so fair that it was difficult to conceal. Why was she even bringing up such a subject, she lectured herself.

"Well…" he began stumbling a little, "I did see a lot of couples there. I suppose families with small children would have left much earlier than this."

"Indeed. I like to come to this bridge on nights like these. See how clear the skies are? This is the one area aside from the beach where there aren't any obstructions to the view. Lovely, isn't it?"

"Beautiful," he agreed. They stood together for a few minutes in content silence. "I suppose I'll leave you to your thoughts," he said. He'd decided that he should leave, perhaps his presence was unneeded. He turned, but Raine reached out and took up one of his hands. He looked at her now steadily.

"Please stay—if it isn't too much trouble," Raine said.

"Ah, yes, your grace, I mean…" He was stumbling over his words again. Raine smiled at this as he gathered his scrambled thoughts. "Of course, Raine, I would be honored to," he finally said clearly.

So her evening went with the dashing Derrick who after a few minutes grew a great deal more comfortable conversing with her. They spoke of how their day went and Raine found herself showing him the different constellations she always saw in the sky at their positions. Their conversation was strictly PG, but Raine enjoyed it all the same as if it were something other than a random encounter. She imagined that since he'd be working with her husband's company that they'd have a great deal more "random" encounters and Raine found that she was looking forward to it. She hid her guilt somewhere in a small box in a forgotten corner of her mind.

They parted ways when Derrick kindly mentioned that his sister would be worried if he stayed out all night. His reminder of just how late it was did draw a small blush from her, but they soon parted ways and Raine finally went on her way home. She'd refused his offer to walk her home, besides she had her Rhieard nearby which she hopped on soon enough.

When she arrived at the manor, she quickly took a shower in the bathroom farthest away from the bedroom so as not to wake Regal and then crept into the room as quietly as she could. She felt like a burglar yet she hadn't stolen a thing. As she sat down on the side of the bed, she noticed that Regal had re-adopted his annoying habit of taking up the center of the bed—he hadn't done that in a long time not since they'd been sleeping together permanently. She wondered what would cause him to do such a thing now. Maybe he was trying to tell her something…or maybe she was looking too far into it.

"Hey," Raine said tapping his shoulder, "Hey, could you scoot over a little?"

"Huh…Raine?" he said groggily. Then it seemed to dawn on him. "Oh, sorry."

She waited for him to finish and then she laid down as well, her eyes staring up at the ceiling once again. Regal laid on his stomach with his head turned away from her.

"Where have you been?" he asked her.

Her eyes widened a bit. Did he know? Was he accusing her of something? But she calmed herself when her mind began to think rationally again. There'd been no anger or suspicion in his tone. In fact, she thought glancing towards him, he looked totally relaxed. It was just a casual question. It had been quite late and she normally didn't stay out this long. It was just simple, innocent concern.

"Just watching the stars on that bridge," she finally replied.

"Oh," he said sleepily. "I see."

Raine knew then that he was likely not going to remember their exchange that night. She learned that the hard way when she'd asked him to get something from the store under the same circumstances and later that day when she asked about it, he'd looked at her as if she was speaking foreign language. She'd been a bit too harsh on him on the matter and for weeks he began to worry that he was suffering from memory loss, had even gone to the doctors, but they had discovered nothing. He was completely fine. Just don't expect a half-sleep Regal to remember intimate details about anything spoken to him.

In fact, the very next day, Regal was saying "Good morning" to her as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred last night—it saddened her a bit. She was glad that he was in a good mood, however. He almost always was. She supposed he had nothing really to stress about. His job, surprisingly, did nothing in that regard. He'd gotten used to it, had become an expert at playing his role. Even more, he already had his eye on someone who would replace him and he'd been training him for the past couple of years. Retirement was in the air. That was certainly something to feel good about. In his mind, his company which he had worked for a great portion of his life would be placed in capable hands and he had a wife who loved him…

Retirement, especially one that was a long time coming, was a joyous thing, but it also always preceded death. Death wasn't the word that was used, however. It was simply called "living out the rest of one's life." What would he spend his days doing if he had no work to go to? He would fill her time with her, she thought. She wondered why she felt so distressed at the prospects.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

She felt sick to her stomach. What happened last night could never reoccur. She was rushing down the street as if someone was chasing her and she was plainly out of breath when she reached her home. Regal would not be there yet. After painstakingly unlocking the door, she yanked the door open, and ran into the living room only to fall pitifully onto the long couch. She sat there for a long while panting. She hadn't even realized that she had eventually fallen asleep until someone was waking her up hours later.

She found her head upon someone's lap: Regal. Her eyes widened at this, but she was turned away from him. Where had the time gone?

"You look as if you've seen a ghost," he said to her.

She moved about so that she was looking upward and her body aligned. She found that she could not respond. Her guilt had made her mute.

"You must have had quite the day. Want to tell me about it?"

She shook her head quietly.

"I would tell you of mine, but it would be of little interest to you."

She remained still and closemouthed. Often the roles were switched, but when he wanted to, he could talk for hours—these were one of those times. The way he gazed at her with those eyes that even now she could become lost in if she wasn't careful, she knew he was quite pleased to see her. He was always happy to gaze upon her. He was always happy to have her nearby. Why couldn't she feel the same? Why wasn't it at the same intensity as before?

"You look absolutely radiant." Such phrases no longer drew blushes from her—he'd have to try harder than that if that was what he was fishing for. He moved her hair gently away from her forehead. "My beautiful fair-skinned angel." She very nearly rolled her eyes at this. _You sap_. He seemed to sense her mood and grinned at her. "The most intelligent being I've ever had the pleasure of falling in love with." Her heart very nearly skipped a beat at the mention of love. "You have always been far too good for me," he continued. He'd began running a finger between her breasts and down her bodice. She might have fallen into his spell had he not said that. Her guilt reared its ugly head.

She stayed his exploring hand and sat up quickly. She couldn't bear to look at his expression, she knew it would be one of surprise and concern. "Just stop, please…" she found herself almost pleading with him. _Please don't look at me like that any longer…_

She stood from the couch swiftly, far more swiftly than Regal could and made haste towards the door. He hadn't even been able to make chase. "Raine, what's wrong?" She heard though muffled by the door. He must have yelled out in order for it to get through the door, but she'd heard. Afraid of being followed, she went to her Rheaird and took off into the sky.

* * *

She just wanted to be alone, away from Regal and away from Derrick. She wanted peace and quiet—she wanted her emotions to stop ruling her decisions. Were there truly logical solutions to her issues? How could she allow herself to go so far with Derrick? How could she at the same time still feel love for Regal as she had since the day she'd fallen for him? Yet she lied freely to him. On several occasions she'd been _afraid_ that he might find out on his own.

The Regal which she saw everyday was no longer the Regal she pictured in her mind, but at the same time he was. It was her mind playing tricks on her. She was not used to her mind making so little sense. She hadn't felt this way since the day she was banished from her hometown…But this could not possibly be on the same level.

She flew all night and then into the early hours of the mornings before feeling too tired to move on. All she had done was run out of the house. She was not prepared for a long trip. She landed her Rheaird on the land she'd been traveling over, someplace which she vaguely remembered in the journey, but it was nowhere particular. She simply needed to rest and close her eyes. She fell asleep quickly and she rested for a long time.

* * *

She sat alone in silence for a very long time before deciding her next course of action. Her fuel was getting low so her options were a bit limited. She knew where she was now and flew directly back to the manor. She had no idea how things would turn out, but she knew what she had to do.

Soon she was opening the door. As she stood in the entryway, she heard more than one voice. A woman's voice first of all and then a child's. Raine recognized them immediately.

"And how is Lucas doing?"

"Doing his music thing, you know. But he's taking a bit of a break and decided to have some bonding time with his son. _I_ thought it would be a great time to have our newest addition to the family come and pay you a visit." Raine could still hear the sweet laughter of the babe. "She seems taken with you—don't let her fool you, though, she can be quite the devil."

"This little cherub? No, she wouldn't hurt a fly. Isn't that right, little one, isn't that right?" he said cooing.

This drew laughter from the woman. "Where's Mom? I was hoping she might be here."

"Oh, well, she needed some time to herself. You know how she gets sometimes," he said without even skipping a beat.

Could it be explained away so easily, Raine wondered? He didn't seem upset at all.

"Did you guys get into an argument?" she asked worriedly.

"Of a sort," he responded just as smoothly as he had before. "I suspect it is something she will have to figure out for herself."

"You don't seem worried in the least," she said incredulously.

"Do I seem that way? There just isn't much I can do at this point. Besides, your mother is quite capable of taking care of herself."

Their daughter Leona had come to visit them with her youngest daughter of only two years named Nissa. She'd wound up marrying one of Lloyd's sons much to everyone's pleasant surprise and their wedding had been nothing but small. It doubled as yet another excuse for all of her friends to join up once again. It had been a merry event. All of her human companions had seemed older, more mature but they'd lost none of their personality. Genis, of course, had grown too. Though he'd stopped aging after a while just like her, he was still different, far more confident and aware of the world. After her marriage with Regal, she'd not been nearly as close to Genis as she had been in the past, but he had had his own life to live by then and his own circle of friends, most of them made from his days at the academy.

Raine straightened her shoulders and then stepped further into the house as if she was advancing on the enemy, but Leona's bright smile tore through her initial defenses.

"Mom, we were just talking about you! It's so great to see you!"

She was so much _happier_. Could that be the result of Lucas? She'd been more inward before and less demonstrative. Certainly, the old Leona would not be hugging her outright like she did now. Raine wrapped her arms around her precious daughter.

"It's always a pleasure," Raine said, "It's been far too long."

"I know," Leona said in agreement. "Are you…feeling better? Dad said you needed some time to yourself."

"Yes, I'm fine, honey. You came at a good time."

In fact, Leona had come at an inopportune time, but whatever she had wanted to speak to Regal about would have to wait for later. Perhaps it was better this way. Had she really been ready? When she was finally released from Leona's enthusiastic hug, she turned to Regal who was sitting down still playing with the babe. He was a natural at such activities. Raine couldn't remember how many times she'd had to admit defeat with a crying baby Leona and hand her off to Regal. Babies were experts at sensing someone else's emotions and they'd sense her frustration immediately. Regal's temperament had always been calmer than hers and babies always seemed at ease with him, an ability that she envied.

Eventually she learned, however, and she grew more confident with babies after a few months of watching Regal. This was why she had no fear as she asked to hold the babe as well in which Regal gladly handed her over. The babe had bright blue eyes that reminded her of the sparkling sea and already she could see fine blue hair on her head. It seemed blue hair was a dominant trait.

"She's beautiful," Raine said with a warm smile.

The babe seemed good natured and easily entertained. She did hope she would remain that way for the duration of her visit. She handed the baby back to Leona who then handed it to Regal again who insisted upon it. She'd forgotten how much her husband enjoyed the "little ones" he would call them. He was not above making weird baby noises nor playing silly games with them nor playing airplane with them—something that Raine noticed that babies liked a lot at least in the case of Leona and Nissa. Maybe there was a certain thrill in being so high in the air and being so small.

Regal had placed the cherub on the carpet and was playing the "peek-a-boo" game with her and Leona had joined in. Nissa must have been over the moon. Raine watched with mild interest. Somehow, she felt as if she didn't belong as if she was invading on something too lovely for her to behold.

"Now that you two are here," Regal began after a while, "I simply _must_ make a suitable dinner."

"Dad, you don't have to do that," Leona replied, but she must have known that the other would insist. Cooking was an undying hobby of his. He enjoyed it immensely.

She eventually gave in to him and Regal stood up slowly from the comfortable couch. He certainly did not move as fast as he had in the past, Raine noted, but that was to be expected. When Regal was away and Nissa was free to crawl about where they could see her, Raine was basically alone with Leona.

"Is everything really alright, Mom? You seem a bit…sad," Leona said.

"You can tell? You're quite perceptive just like your father." Just as Raine mentioned his name she could hear the clatter of pots and pans being taken out from the cabinet.

"Sometimes we just need someone to talk to. Someone who's _not_ a guy. You know you can tell me anything, right Mom?"

Raine smiled briefly. "And am I one of your patients now?"

Leona in the end had chosen to pursue her dream of becoming a psychiatrist. This wasn't a light decision nor was it something she'd made long ago as a child and said proudly to adults whenever they asked. In fact Leona _hated_ such things as career days in her secondary school. She hadn't the slightest clue what she wanted to do. As a child, she'd been introverted and quite intelligent from her hobby of reading books of all kind. She knew that she'd liked books, but she knew it was simply a hobby not exactly something that could consume her life. Then slowly she began to grow out of her shell with the help of her parents and more interactions with the outside world. She discovered, ironically, that she _loved_ people. She enjoyed observing them from afar. But what really drew her in was the complex world of emotions. Her interest lied in psychiatry where she could study people and use her knowledge to help them.

"No," she said shaking her head. "I'm just your worried daughter."

Raine sighed. "I think I made a terrible mistake and I don't think I'll ever be forgiven."

"Oh," Leona said, her face immediately showing empathy. "I think I've been in your position before. The _worst_ thing you can do is let it fester. Life is too short. Besides, if it's dad who you made the mistake with you know he can be surprisingly forgiving."

"I know," Raine said, "But even so, I'm still worried, scared. Maybe even he will not forgive me. I'm going to tell him soon when the time is right."

"Alright," Leona said with understanding. "I hope everything turns out well."

"Me too."

Talking with her daughter had only made her feel a little better, but the worst was yet to come, Raine knew. She had to actually tell Regal. How could she tell her husband, who had never done anything besides love her, what she had done? Would she even be able to look him in the eye? Better yet will he be able to look at her? Would he become angry with her forever? None of these thoughts seemed out of proportion. In fact, she thought she might be thinking too small.

Dinner was ready in a couple of hours and by then the baby had fallen asleep. The three of them had a pleasant home cooked dinner together, an activity that hadn't occurred in years. Raine found it oddly nostalgic. It was a time when Regal trained Leona in the ways of his fighting style and Raine trained her in the use of her magic. It was a time when she loved her husband fiercely and that she would never dream of pulling what she had now. Regal was still Regal with his rich blue hair and his smooth, chiseled face. It brought tears to her eyes. These were times in which she could never return. They were gone forever. She told them that they were tears of joy when she saw their concerned looks and it was partially true. They were bittersweet, longing tears of days past.

Leona stayed at their house for a couple of days and they were glad to have her. That whole time, Raine did not breathe a word of her transgressions to Regal. The time still wasn't right. If they were going to argue, she did not want her daughter to see it. She wanted Leona to keep the rosy image of her parents always in her mind.

She slept beside her husband as if all was well and he did not press her with questions as he sensed her uneasiness. He simply accepted her as she was. He pretended along with her for the sake of their daughter. When Leona left on the last day, Raine felt the tension grow between them yet Regal did not broach the topic at all. Her courage had suddenly disappeared again. She'd blamed Leona's presence, now it was simply her inability, her fear. She watched him go to work and she called in for a sick day at work. Work was so well delegated at her school that her absence even for a few days would not upset things.

Today had to be the day or she'd fall apart.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

All the employees knew her by sight. It was no problem strolling through the front door and going up to see her husband. She was stopped, however, by his secretary before she could go down the final hall.

"I'm sorry, he's currently in a meeting, but it should be over soon," the red headed man said with a pleasant smile.

"Alright, I'll simply wait then."

She wasn't unreasonable. She knew it was the middle of the day and that Regal would often be busy. She couldn't quite put it into words. She had to do it now before she lost the nerve. She couldn't do it at home. She couldn't bear to reveal her horrible secret there where so many of their precious memories took place.

"He'll be free for half an hour afterwards," the secretary added to the waiting woman.

Raine didn't have long to wait and she knew the meeting was over when she saw him walking towards her, Derrick. He was just as surprised as her to see her. When he reached her, they stood staring at each other. Then she shook her head and looked away from him. He placed an understanding a hand on her shoulder but she pulled away from him.

"I…tried to tell him," Derrick began. Raine looked up at him wide-eyed. Was she too late? "But I could not. I think it is better if you do it."

Raine nodded wordlessly. "How was he?" she asked in a small voice. "Is he…alright?"

"Yes, rather chipper, in fact."

_Oh great._ "Thanks…have a good afternoon," she said detachedly.

"I'll try," he replied.

Raine couldn't wait for the other to leave. She did not want to see her guilt reflected in his eyes. She walked now to Regal's grand office and she opened the double doors to the large room. Regal was sitting there composed and dignified sipping on what might have been water, but she could not tell for sure and there were a few sheets of paper in front of him that he'd been looking over. When she stepped in, however, his eyes came to her immediately—those soulful eyes that stayed her frantic mind.

"Ah, Raine, always a pleasure to see you."

Even coming as unexpected as she had, he seemed largely at ease. He was inviting, he was the perfect gentleman. How would he react once she told him?"

"You seem troubled, however, come have a seat. I'm free."

She took a seat wordlessly. She hadn't said anything to him and she knew she was giving him ample signs that there was indeed something bothering her.

"There's something I need to tell you. Why I ran out on you like that, why I've been so…distracted…"

"Distracted?" he asked. "I wouldn't use that word. You were truly happy. You smiled on that day I took you to that business function, but your eyes were aglow with a light I'd thought you'd lost when you laid eyes on Derrick."

Her heart stopped beating at that moment. "I'm sorry, I did something horrible…

"No—

"Just please let me _say_ it."

"I already know," Regal said to the panicked Raine. Her eyes widened at this. "I already know," he repeated so that it would sink in.

"But how could you? I mean, why aren't you upset? I betrayed your trust…I belong to you and I…"

"Raine, I've never owned a person before especially not you. You have your own thoughts and motivations, likes and dislikes. I was glad that you saw something in me worth loving for so long, but it was never my intention to trap you or to force you to do something you don't want to out of habit. I haven't been able to bring you the kind of happiness you crave for a long time now…"

"I still love you," Raine argued.

"I know," he said stilling her argument. "But Derrick gave you something that I could not. I'm indebted to him. It takes a special person to do something like that for you. When I found that you'd began to glow again, that you were no longer perpetually sad, that gave me the greatest joy. There's no need to feel guilty."

Her eyes began to water a little. Only a fool wouldn't fall in love instantly with his personality alone. She'd imagined things going so differently yet Regal sat there as composed as always just as his name suggested. He was simply happy that she was happy and that was all that mattered to him, nothing more. He believed in their relationship so much that he had not bothered to even become concerned. He'd always felt her love even now, even when she was so bad at showing it.

She stood up from her chair and walked behind the desk. She sat down on the desk right in front of him and she had his full attention. She bent over and began kissing him with a sudden burst of passion. She felt his hands running lovingly through her hair and it spurned her on. She grabbed at his tie and pulled him forth. He was standing now, his presence over her and his hands placed on the desk as he returned the favor. She shivered joyously as she felt his lips begin to move down her skin. She was being pushed further onto the desk as items began to fall off. Neither one cared at this point. He was liable to rip her shirt off completely had they not heard a knock on the door. Then they paused.

Regal pulled her closer still with his arms wrapped securely around her and kissed her tenderly on the forehead.

"Sorry, I really need to take this," he said softly, "But we should continue this later."

"I understand…I barged in here like I owned the place…"

"Like I said before, it's always a pleasure to see you."

Raine was a little sad when he pulled away from her and began straightening himself up. On her part she picked up the few desk items that had fallen and placed them as neatly as she could back in place. She gave him one last look before turning to leave. She opened the door to see a young brunette woman who looked slightly confused when she saw her. Then her confusion turned to realization.

"Ah, Mrs. Bryant. What a pleasure to meet you."

Raine couldn't place her name, but she smiled just the same at her. "The pleasure is all mine. He's all yours now," she said before stepping around the woman.

She could hear Regal's gracious greeting before the woman closed the thick doors. She left the establishment with a chiefly grin on her face and she was in a good mood for the rest of the day in anticipation.

He took an eternity to come home even if he had managed to come back sooner than usual. She laid there on the couch when she heard the door open. He seemed to know where she was instinctively. He didn't bother going upstairs to drop his things. By the time he'd arrived in the living room, he didn't even have on his suit jacket.

She felt his warmth as he joined her there on the couch straddling her now. He was so gentle with her like she was his most prized possession and she smiled at his touch running down her face, but such gentility did not last as they became like beasts starving for a good feast. Regal had scarcely placed his lips on hers before they were desperately trying to unclothe one another. He'd managed to take off her blouse and slip down her pencil skirt (in which she later kicked it off her legs), but she'd only gotten past his waistcoat and partway down his button up shirt before he simply pulled it over her head—his pants would have to wait—they'd get to that sooner or later. And yet they still kissed each other fiercely unwilling to separate too long. When he disappeared to her nether regions, she felt his tongue slip across her clit and then dive in much deeper. She sighed with pleasure as waves of stirring passion passed over her causing her legs to clench upon him. It twisted and turned, teasing her body in all the right ways and places. She grabbed at his hair as if to hold onto something while on an especially thrilling ride. It stopped only for a moment as he pulled himself away to hastily pull down his pants and boxer briefs. She was quite ready for him by then looking up at him pleadingly and he slid into her as if it was second nature, no fumbling around, no checking to see if he had done it right—he knew that he was quite successful as he came upon her once again.

She moved with him slow and rhythmic, he started to kiss her again long and passionately. Then it came faster and faster, he released her lips so that she could breathe, so that she could cry out in satisfaction. She hadn't thought she'd reach a climax, but she did. He wouldn't let her off easy as he continued his thrusts. It was only when he began to slow that she risked trying to sit up—she wanted her time as well. She pressed a hand onto his broad chest and he allowed her to push him back until she was atop him.

They began kissing again both of them panting. She reached her hand down and began to massage his member. She bent down further into him and nibbled at his earlobe just as his shaft stood at attention once again awaiting her decent. Ironically, she did not come at him hard and fast—she knew what _he_ liked. As she slowly and sensually moved her body, up and down, up and down so that he could feel every part of it, so that he could savor it. She liked it when his brow creased and his eyes closed in ultimate satisfaction, she knew that expression well, she knew when she was doing it just right. He was never the most vocal sex partner. When he began to moan, she knew it was equivalent to her cries. She felt his hands running down her back and stopping there upon the small of her back, rubbing it tenderly—it spurred her on until she could thrust no more and she fell upon him in a satisfied, panting heap.

Her legs were entwined with his and her head lay upon his chest where she could feel his heart pumping quickly and gradually begin to slow once again. His hand played with her hair, his other arm laid across her back.

Not a word was uttered as they listened to the sound of the other's breathing. Raine thought she could stay that way forever, listening to his slow, steady heart beats. She could tell the moment when he fell asleep as his heart pumped at near snail pace. She smiled to herself, but she was not long after him joining.

* * *

Raine found herself the first one awake as the living room was lit up by the morning sun. There was no clock around so there was no telling what time it was, but she did know that the sun was much too high. Neither one of them would make it to work on time even if they tried.

Instead of waking him up frantically, she sat up slowly moving his arms away from her. He was much too peaceful to disturb and she did not have the heart to do it. She climbed off of him nimbly and went upstairs in her nakedness to find a blanket and something for him to throw on later. She placed on him a relatively thin blanket and tucked him in as she would a child. Then she went to start her morning routine. She'd be a little late, but she found she didn't care at all.

It had been a while since she'd been in the kitchen on her own, but she felt she could manage it. She fried up some bologna and scrambled some eggs and called it a day. Though they both came out slightly burnt, they were edible and she was quite proud of herself.

She didn't even bother to tiptoe; she knew it was possible for Regal to sleep through entire thunderstorms without stirring.

"Goodbye, Regal, see you a little later," she said lightly before leaving to go to school.

* * *

Her co-workers trusted her, but Raine was afraid she might have breached that long-time trust when she came in late with little explanation. It was so unlike her that some thought something terrible had happened and she simply did not want to tell them. She reassured them that everything was fine until she wondered if it might have been better to feign tragedy to appease them. As soon as they could wrap their heads around the fact that Raine had simply been late for no serious reason at all, they were less than receptive. In fact for the first time, some of her older employees expressed disappointment. She told herself that she didn't care, but it had hurt a little. Time would mend fences as it usually did with minor disputes and she planned on making it up to them—maybe enlisting her husband to make some delicious dessert…

Her workday started out with a rough start but it did not gradually become better—it seemed to stay at the same level. Several kids were sent to her office that she was then expected to discipline and make decisions as to what their punishments would be. She even had to go so far as to expel one of them as he was a repeat offender and he refused to show her any semblance of respect. While making her rounds around the school, a fight broke out two halls down from her and during the last lunch a food fight commenced and some of the saucy spaghetti managed to get into her hair. Today simply wasn't her day.

She was less prepared today than she had been in a while expecting to have an easy day. There was no change of clothes for her. She simply decided to not wear her suit jacket which had the worst of the food debris. She also had to deal with her wet, drippy hair after washing out the food from her hair.

When the last of the kids were sent on their way, she laid back in her office chair and sighed deeply. It was then when she began to have a bad feeling. It made no logical sense to connect her relatively rough day with anything else in her life, but when she thought about seeing Regal once again to relieve her stress she felt her mood darken. Had something happened to him, her mind illogically asked itself.

She painstakingly went over her routine that morning, one that was different from before because she had neglected to wake Regal. He would not have come to harm simply because of _that_. She'd placed a blanket on him and he was alive and breathing. Nothing was out of the ordinary, nothing at all. Then why did she feel as if she was missing something? Despite all of her reasoning, she was tossing things into her purse, forgetting important documents she was supposed to look over, and making a mad dash to her Rheaird. What if he hadn't made it to work at all? Maybe she'd been right before, maybe he was hiding some fatal disease that had decided to take him on this day? That would mean that Regal would be an expert liar and beyond skillful at hiding his symptoms…but she did not think along those lines.

She was speeding through the skies as fast as she could and she was soon ramming her key into the door as if the world was ending—perhaps her world was. She ran into the living room. The first thing she noticed was that he was not there. Everything was neat and tidied up. The blanket was nowhere to be found. He must have put it away. The clothes she'd set out wasn't there as well. Slowly her mind began to function. She needed further proof of his wellness.

Upstairs in their bedroom, she could see the blanket now folded up neatly but forgotten on the bed and not exactly placed back into the closet—a minor oversight on Regal's part that he was completely capable of doing these days especially if it was outside of their routine. The clothes she left out for him was back in the drawers where she had found them. Everything was looking fine. Nothing was out of place in the bathroom.

She went downstairs to the kitchen now and saw that it had been left in more disarray than usual. The pan she had used must have been reused because there were no longer any burn marks in it. A spatula was left out. He must have been in a bit of a rush which was understandable. There was no telling when he had actually woke but it must have been hours after. He could have decided to stay home, but he must have done otherwise despite his glaring lateness. Something told her that his co-workers would not be as hard on him. Who could ever be upset with the good-natured old man? It would be a crime.

Still, she was not satisfied. The bad feeling had not left her, but her logical mind had more ammunition to throw at her silly emotions. She cranked the key into her Rheaird once again and flew off at a far slower pace to visit Regal's workplace. Everything looked fine on the outside of the looming building. The day was bright and sunny.

When she stepped in, however, it was a completely different story. The noise level was high and frantic men and women were coming out of the elevator _running_ from something. Without further ado, she ran into the fray grabbing the first person she could find.

"What's happening here?" Raine asked shaking the woman a bit.

"Something…upstairs. I'm not sure. I was doing my work as usual and someone came down saying we have to get our things and evacuate."

"A fire?" Raine asked.

"He didn't say…I don't think so. Hey, where are you going?" the woman asked as Raine moved passed her.

Raine had to get upstairs. Regal was upstairs and she had not seen him here on this floor. She took the emergency stairs and ran up the steps without pause or complaints. She had to make sure he was okay—she had to make sure her worries were unfounded.

There were no authorities here, Raine noticed when she reached the top floor. In fact, it was eerily quiet. Maybe this floor had been evacuated already. It would make sense. The quietness calmed her a little and she began to walk briskly down the hall she'd traversed just yesterday passing by Derrick. She wanted to get this over with _now_. She felt as if her poor heart would give out any minute.

She yanked the door open and she beheld a scene that would not easily be erased from her memory. A brunette woman, one who looked vaguely familiar, laid down in a bloody heap upon who she immediately recognized as her husband. He was much too pale.

"No, no, no…" she kept repeating as her eyes continued to evaluate the scene.

The woman clutched a large knife in her hand almost hidden beneath the folds of her long skirt. She forced her eyes to look at Regal whose mouth was open and the sides of it stained with precious blood, copious amounts of it. His eyes transfixed upon the ceiling not as if in shock but as if he were imagining he was elsewhere, anywhere but here. His right hand was covered up by the brunette woman, but she could tell it was placed over his heart.

Raine felt detached from the entire thing. Her mind focused on one thing as she crumbled to her knees, her magic, her healing magic. She knew it was much too late, but that didn't stop her from trying. She could revive people who were knocked out or hanging on by a thread, she was not a necromancer, however. There was no life left within him for her to manipulate. He was gone. She only stopped when her vision became blurry and she could barely lift herself up. A sudden spurt of anger sparked through her as she grabbed at the unknown woman's shoulders and tore her away, tossing her aside as best she could. She was dead and stiffened already so there was little more Raine could do to punish her. Instead, she turned to her husband and pulled his stiffened form onto her lap. Gently, she closed his eyes. Then she cried and cried and cried, her tears falling onto his face. She rocked back and forth.

In that moment, she wished to join him. How was she possibly going to move on from this? What was left for her? Her eyes spied the knife that the woman grasped. Then the doors to the office sprung open and the guards streamed in.

They tried to gently pull her away but she immediately became combative and they had to stay her flailing arms before she could be dragged out of the room safely. She kicked and screamed the whole time until she was able to regain herself a little. She simply stood there in the hall with guards watching her gazing absently at the wall. Something had snapped within her and she wasn't sure she wanted to fix it. She was numb and she would never feel again. Gentle arms wrapped around her and she had no will to stop them. She hadn't known how much time had passed or even where she was.

"I'm sorry, Raine…I'm truly sorry," Derrick's soft voice said to her.

She looked up then and saw him, the dark haired young man who she had had relations with briefly. Why was he here? How had he been here?

"Why?" she croaked pulling away from him violently. Her mouth had become so unbelievably dry.

He seemed unfazed by her outburst and looked at her steadily. "You know…I spoke with him briefly today and he pulled me to the side. He made me promise that I would take care of you no matter what. I don't think he knew any of this was going to happen, he was just concerned about how you would take it once he died and left you behind. Said he was an old man and one could never tell when his time was up. Please…let me fulfill my promise."

"I don't need to be held."

"Then I won't do that," he acquiesced. "Let's just sit down together."

They were outside of the building where employers had gathered, but they made way as Derrick guided her through the ruckus and they walked and walked and walked until they came upon a park and simply sat down at the nearest bench. She felt some ounce of normalcy sitting beside a person albeit one that was extremely quiet, but one who did not make her feel uncomfortable. He simply sat as a statue would.

Raine looked up to the white cloudy skies, a beautiful day, her dull eyes processed. Briefly ever so briefly a smile formed on her lips as she thought she spied a Regal shaped cloud.

"May you find everlasting peace…and one day I will join you…" she murmured to herself as glassy eyes stared into the clouds.


	5. Bonus Chapter

Bonus Chapter (Not an epilogue)

Regal couldn't believe how long he managed to sleep that day. It was the afternoons already and Raine was nowhere to be found. He felt his age as he sat up from the couch with a groan—a couch was no place for him to rest for any long periods of time, but he supposed it was an acceptable setback for last night's activities. He grinned a little to himself—it was a feat he had surprised even himself with.

There had been a blanket placed on him and he pulled it off as he stretched out his arms, legs, and back—especially his back. He momentarily realized that he was starkly naked and despite being in a house all by himself, he was a bit embarrassed. A testament to how ingrained manners were in his mind. Maybe he should call in to work today, tell them he was feeling a bit under the weather—old men could get away with such excuses. Most of his employees thought he worked too hard anyway. But he couldn't, he simply could not. When he retired _that_ was when he could sleep in as much as he wanted and not feel guilty about it. Now, at least, he had to keep up the same drive he always had. He spied folded clothes on the table and he placed these garments on thankful for Raine's forethought.

He took up the blanket and went upstairs, folding it up and placing it somewhere nearby. He commenced with his usual routine and pulled on one of the countless suits he had in his closet. When downstairs again, he hastily made something for himself after cleaning out the burnt pan that Raine had so obviously used before him. Afterwards, he was off to work as if it were any other day besides the sun being higher than usual before he set off.

He greeted everyone with a smile when he strolled through the front entrance and they were all quite glad to see him. He probably could have walked in at any time and receive the same response from his employees. A fine afternoon it was and there was a certain pep in his step, but then who wouldn't be feeling as content as he after his exploits? He took the elevator and went to his floor. As he walked down the hall, he ran into Derrick, the man was nothing if not punctual. He was there far ahead of time and he'd been conversing casually with the red headed secretary.

Upon seeing the young man, a sobering thought came to his mind. He'd seen something in the man that had caught his eye straight away, his honesty, but it was not only that. He possessed the traits of one who could be depended on and it had not escaped him that his wife found him attractive. Regal couldn't remember the specific time period it had occurred, but he noticed his wife was no longer content with her life. He knew that he couldn't be the one to return her to her former glory. It had been too long and nothing had changed. She no longer slept as she should, she no longer conversed as openly with him as she used to, and she did not look at him the same. He could not turn back time, that was impossible, but he knew that he wanted to find a solution by any means necessary and then one came to him or more like it fell into his lap at that business function: Derrick. He was just what the doctor ordered.

Raine had felt so guilty, he regretted ever making her feel that way, but he cleared it up quickly with her. He was not offended in the least—in fact, he was relieved. She needed something and her needs were met with that young man; he could not fault her for it, he _would_ _not_ fault her for it.

The love had still been there and that was all he had needed in the end. He wanted her beside him and he always wanted to see her smile. If she wasn't happy, then it was impossible for him to feel the same way. Yesterday, however, had caught him by surprise. She'd looked at him with the kind of fiery passion that he thought he'd seen the last of years ago. He wasn't sure what had been different that time, but he could only respond to it. In that moment, he had wanted her like no other—it was inexplicable.

Nothing had changed between them, he was sure. They were still the same person. The only thing different was Derrick's influence. Could he really be the reason for it all?

"Good afternoon, Derrick," Regal said startling the other a little.

"Oh, sir, you're here. Daniel was just telling me you might not be in today."

"Well, I did have a bit of a late start today. I hope you don't mind."

"No, of course not, sir," Derrick said immediately.

The man seemed a bit more nervous now. If he didn't explain soon, the poor man was liable to melt into a puddle and nobody wanted that.

"I have something to talk with you about," Regal said to the nervous man. "Walk with me for a bit."

The corridor was long and they walked slowly.

"Is there…something amiss, sir?" Derrick asked.

"Nothing in particular. I suppose I should say this plainly," Regal said. He grinned as the other nervously clasped his hands behind his back. "I know that you've been having relations with my wife."

Derrick stopped in his tracks. "S-sir…"

"Keep walking," Regal said coolly. "I know it wasn't something you actively sought, but when she wants something, she usually gets it. I want you to know that I am not upset in the least. I'm just an old man with an extremely youthful wife and she wanted to feel alive again. I like you Derrick and, in the case that I die, I want you to be there for her. I want you to comfort her when I no longer can and I want you to mend her broken heart."

Derrick looked at him in wonderment as if he had not understood a word he had just uttered.

"I suppose it all sounds a bit strange," Regal said. "But will you promise me that, Derrick?"

"Y-Yes, sir," he said a bit hesitantly at first but then there was resolve in his eyes. "Of course. I promise. But…this isn't something you really need to worry about," he said with an encouraging smile, "As far as old men go, I'd say you're quite healthy and have many years yet to live."

"Well, one can never be too careful. Raine and I knew what would happen—it's inevitable. The thing is, it would be much harder for her because she still has to _live_ and I want her to. I don't want the rest of her life to be some dreary affair of endless mourning. Do you understand now?"

"Yes," Derrick nodded affirmatively.

"Good," Regal said with a smile patting the other's shoulder. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get myself settled in my office before I call you in—it'll be brief."

He turned on his heels and made his way back to his room with renewed purpose. He was sure he left the young man with a lot to think about not to mention that he had just placed upon him a great responsibility. If he knew anything from experience, it was no easy task to help someone who was in deep pain especially if it was of the heart. How long had he mourned over Alicia death? How drastically had he done so? He knew that he was terrible with dealing with loss. His only hope was that Raine's pragmatic tendencies would save her from wasting as much time as he.

He sat down in his sinfully comfortable rolling chair and then sat back for a while out of habit. Then when he deemed it time, he slipped a few pieces of paper out of his briefcase and scanned over them quickly. Before he could then tell his secretary that he was, in fact, ready, his door opened on its own revealing Sarah McCrown, the brunette woman from yesterday who had come in right after Raine had left. His secretary was right behind her voicing his apologies and that the woman had insisted. Regal calmed his very capable secretary with a hand and decided it would be much easier to hear her out—she was an exemplary, highly regarded employee of his and she appeared quite determined at that moment.

"Please, come in," Regal said as he stood up as well. He did not want to make her feel too comfortable. There were other appointments he had to keep that day now that he was here. He came from around the desk and sat down on the front edge of it. "What brings you here today, Ms. McCrown?"

She smiled as she usually did when he mentioned her name. She was always so eager and attentive around him. It meant that she never missed a word he uttered to her.

"Yes, well, this is a bit personal."

"Personal?" Regal asked. He favored patience, but personal business was rarely something that could be dealt with quickly. "Ms. McCrown, you know I'm always willing to listen when it comes to you, but I want to make sure I'm giving you my _full_ attention. I think this conversation would be best revisited on my off hours." He could already see the protest in her eyes and he sighed at this.

"It won't take long. I promise."

"Alright, I'll give you ten minutes. I hate to rush you like this."

"I know you do," she said with a smile. "You know, you came in a bit late today."

"Ah, well, I had some…trouble this morning."

A concerned look came upon her face. "Oh, no, you're alright now, right?"

"Of course. Now what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"How is your wife? I saw her yesterday," she plunged ahead seemingly ignoring his question completely.

"Oh she's quite fine, I assure you."

"Did you two…make-up?"

"Make-up? Have I ever given you the impression that we weren't together?"

She shook her head. "I'm really good at seeing those kinds of things. You just seem much happier today, far more than usual. Sorry if I'm being too intrusive."

Regal allowed himself a brief grin. "Quite perceptive. We…settled our differences yesterday."

"I'm glad for you, but I'm also a bit sad. How do you know it won't happen again? If she can do it once, then she could certainly do it again."

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Now I think you are being a bit too intrusive. My wife is a lovely woman who I will always love."

"No matter what?" Now she slowly pulled up the hem of her long skirt revealing slim, shiny legs. "If you let me, I can love you much better and unconditionally."

Regal was caught off guard by this. He placed a steadying hand on hers which held up her skirt and gently pushed it back down.

"Perhaps I've given you the wrong impression," he began slowly.

"You smile at me every day," she said confidently.

"Yes, I do. I smile at everyone when I come through the door and I make eye contact with everyone."

"You always say 'good morning' to me," she said with a little less confidence.

"Again—"

"But you _talk_ to me! We had plenty of individual conversations. You know more about me than anyone else!"

"I—well, I didn't know that."

It was true that he did know a lot about her, but that was only because she disclosed such information to him. He'd never once asked for it, but he certainly did not ignore her. It had always seemed like she needed someone to talk to so he had listened out of courtesy.

"And you always compliment me," Her voice was shaky now. He could sense that she was liable to start tearing up.

"I do that because you are an excellent employee, Sarah. You've done tasks that most others would be hard pressed to accomplish and you do so with flying colors. You're organized, punctual, attentive, and you're very intelligent." He stood up now. He realized where there could be confusion.

"You had lunch with me—multiple times when no one else would."

"Listen, Sarah, I've had lunches with almost everyone who works here—I find that it builds stronger relationships. I never did so on an individual basis; I invited everyone in your department—

"Stop!" she said, the tears finally falling now. "I don't want to hear your excuses anymore!"

"I'm sorry if I've misled you," Regal said distressingly.

He placed a calming hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him with sad umber eyes. Her hand slipped into her skirt pocket and he paid it little attention. He was thoroughly unprepared for her to pull out a knife. In fact, he didn't notice it at all until she stabbed him with it in passionate anger. One strike was all it took to seriously injure his heart enough to make him virtually defenseless. He was only able to give her one feeble push before he was wheezing, completely short of breath. He tried to move away from her, but he was too dizzy to see where he was going. He couldn't cry out for help let alone breathe adequately and he found himself falling on the ground. He was coughing now and with each one, blood leaped from his mouth. He knew in that instant that he was going to die.

He felt the knife go into him a few more times, but he could do little to stop her. He'd already accepted his fate anyway. _Perhaps I should have stayed home today…Raine…I'm sorry…_

He thought he heard a shout…had it been Derrick? He couldn't be sure.


End file.
